


Tell Me Where You Belong

by frominsideacomputer



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Avatar & Benders Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern with Bending (Avatar), Animal Transformation, Avatar Cycle, Avatar State, Bisexual Sokka (Avatar), Bisexual Suki (Avatar), Coming Out, Emotional Hurt, Environmentalism, F/F, F/M, Gay Zuko (Avatar), Homelessness, It's gonna be angst and fluff, Like Wizard of Oz style transported to our reality, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Not loads but a little bit to give the stories some substance, Original Female Character(s) - Freeform, POV Aang (Avatar), POV Katara (Avatar), POV Sokka (Avatar), POV Suki (Avatar), POV Toph Beifong, POV Zuko (Avatar), Please read this is mostly fun, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Toph Being Awesome, Unresolved Emotional Tension, Will add tags as I write chapters, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, Zuko's Scar (Avatar)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:34:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26428708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frominsideacomputer/pseuds/frominsideacomputer
Summary: Aang introduced himself first, “I’m Aang, this is Katara, Sokka and Toph.” He gestured to the others, who waved nervously.“I’m Suki and this is Zuko.” They both smiled, but the girl’s face was open in shock.“You’re kidding, right?”OrWhere our six favourite benders and non-benders find themselves in our reality, where Avatar: The Last Airbender exists as a programme and their characters are known internationally. All they want is to try to get home, but as time goes on, it seems like that is less likely and they have to learn how to live in an unfamiliar world.
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Mai/Ty Lee (Avatar), Sokka & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Suki (Avatar)
Kudos: 21





	1. A World Away

**Author's Note:**

> Set in an ambiguous UK city, and in which the Gaang are bilingual (English/Mandarin Chinese) (I haven't shown that in the first chapter but i promise it's coming) because I wanted to this is be a light n fluffy piece - I really hope I didn’t whitewash them but let me know if I did please, that's the last thing i wanted to end up doing

Appa flew through the skies, taking the gang on a well-needed holiday to Ember Island, where Zuko’s family beach house had been redecorated and remodelled for the six of them to escape to when real life got too much. In the five years since the war had ended, life had changed for all of them, and times of peace were very different to times of peace.  
This time, they’d all found themselves getting overwhelmed with responsibility that the adults around them had started to assume they could take. The wind whipped around them, blowing through their hair and robes. Aang and Katara sat at the front of Appa, talking and laughing about something. Sokka was intensely explaining about a new invention that he’d come up with, while Suki and Zuko listened intently. Toph was half listening, concentrating more on trying to bend a little sculpture of herself out of metal.   
“Hey guys!” Aang said, turning and pointing in front of them. “You might want to hold onto something, there’s a storm ahead.” 

Dark cloud bubbled and rumbled ahead, lightning snapped the sky in half and huge drops of rain crashed onto their heads. They all gripped tightly onto one another and the saddle as Aang tried to steer them out of the storm, out of the menacing clouds and down to the water below, where perhaps they could find an island to take refuge on. Katara was desperately water bending the rain out of their way, but it was all in vain. The storm engulfed them and swirled them through the air, they clung on tightly to each other and Appa, hoping they didn’t lose anyone in the frightening weather. Lightning cracked and thunder roared, deafening their ears and stabbing into their eyes. Fear ran through each of them, and it truly felt like they might not make it out together.   
And then everything went black. 

Katara woke first, opening her eyes slowly. She seemed to be in a field, surrounded by long grasses. When her consciousness fully returned, she sat up to see who’d made it through with her, assuming the worst. But they were all there, except Appa. She shook Aang’s shoulder and he groaned. She woke her brother and friends, all of them sitting up slowly and taking in their surroundings. It was unfamiliar, and the storm overhead had passed. The skies were blue and birds were singing gently. At least it was peaceful.   
“What are those?” Sokka asked, pointing up at thin black lines that stripped across the sky. He followed them with his finger to a huge metal structure, and then another, and then another.   
“I…I don’t know?” Zuko said softly, fear echoing in his voice.   
“W…where are we?” Katara looked around them as they all stood up, examining the meadow they found themselves in. It was different to anywhere they’d ever seen before, it wasn’t like the rocky earth kingdom or the desert fire nation, nor the arctic water tribes or the mountain air temples. Toph said the ground beneath her felt different, it was unfamiliar and strange. They wandered around the field a bit, trying to find some clues to where they were, but nothing seemed to reveal itself. 

“Over here!” Suki shouted, waving from the other side of a long hedge. They rushed over, hoping to find a familiar sight, but they were met with more alien scenery.   
“What is it?”   
“I mean it looks kind of like a road?” Sokka knelt down and touched the black surface. “Maybe we should follow it? I mean it’s got to go somewhere, right?”   
“Um, alright?” Aang asked the rest of them and they agreed, starting to walk down the middle of the black track. 

After a few minutes, a deafening noise scared all of them, and a huge metal machine came thundering up behind them. Jumping out of the way, the six of them fell into the verges, shaking with fear.   
“What the agni kai was that?!” Toph yelled, but the rest of them were too shocked to answer. After that moment, they stayed off the middle and walked close to the hedges that lined the road. More of those large metal beasts thundered past, Toph wanted to metalbend them, but Zuko suggested that they try to find out where they were before showing off their powers.   
The walk was long and they were scared. Eventually, after nearly two hours, they rounded a bend which opened out onto a view of a city. It was like nothing they’d ever seen before: more and more of those metal boxes zoomed around them, some were huge and seemed to be carrying many people. Houses were boxed in together and seemed to be stacked on top of each other. Shops of all sizes were dotted between the houses, and people were crowding the streets between them.   
“What is this place?” Suki whispered, frozen in fear and confusion. The rest of them just shook their heads in astonishment, staring at the city. 

All of a sudden, a young woman riding something with two narrow wheels stopped in front of them, seemingly waiting for the chance to cross the street without being hit.  
“Excuse me,” Sokka suddenly blurted out to her. “Can you tell me where we are?”   
“Of course, this is Castle Street, the city centre is that way.” She pointed to her right, down towards the shops, and then sped off on her mysterious contraption.   
They turned to face each other, deciding what they should do next. “She said the city centre, maybe we should find some help there?” Katara said, pretending to keep her head straight but inside she was panicking.   
“I suppose so? But I don’t really know what kind of help we could get?” Zuko depressingly suggested.   
“Maybe we’re in the future.” Sokka suddenly said, and the others looked at him like he was an idiot. “Just a suggestion.” He shrugged.  
“I think Katara’s right,” Aang said. “Maybe we can ask someone.”   
They walked nervously into the city centre, passing shops full of food and clothing they didn’t recognise. It was like a mix of all four nations at once, but it was also nothing like any of them. Toph hung onto Suki’s arm, unable to properly feel her way around the place. 

“Hey, that sign says Information Centre maybe we could head there?” Sokka suggested as they tried to understand their surroundings. They followed the signs and ended up at a small shop. They stood awkwardly in the shop, staring at the posters and pamphlets on the walls and tables around them.   
“Excuse me, hello?” Sokka said and a girl with bright pink hair stood up from behind a desk.   
“Hi!” She smiled widely and leaned on the counter. “Oh wait, you asked me for directions earlier. How can I help?”   
They looked between each other, silently asking for help with what to say to her. Eventually, Aang piped up. “Um, this is going to sound odd but we don’t know where we are. We just sort of arrived in a field, we got caught in a storm in the sky and, I know it sounds strange, can you help us?” He squeezed Katara’s hand so tightly, she almost lost circulation in her fingers.   
The girl looked back at them all quizzically, trying to figure out if they were joking or not, but from their expressions and body language, they seemed to be honest.   
“Right…? It’s like a Wizard of Oz kinda situation?”   
“A what of who?” Replied Zuko, who was sure he’d misheard her.   
“Wizard of Oz? Alice in Wonderland? Once Upon a Time?”   
“Sorry. We have no idea what you’re talking about.” Katara said, still very nervous but she could sense a kindness in the luminous-haired bubbly girl in front of them.   
“Okay, umm.” She looked around as if trying to think of a solution. Then she picked up a small black square which glowed when she pressed it. “We’ll be closing in an hour, there’s a little park just around the corner if you want to wait there for me, I can come and meet you. I’m Calista, by the way.” 

The six of them were sitting on warm grass in soft sunshine, brainstorming about their current situation while also finding everything fascinating.   
“Can you hear music?” Zuko asked, looking around at all of the people in the park.   
“I don’t see anyone playing instruments.”   
“I can feel the vibrations, it’s coming from over there.” Toph pointed to a group of teenagers who were lounging around. A small grey box in the middle of them seemed to be playing the music they could hear. Sokka desperately wanted to go over and ask questions, but Suki stopped him before he could. She said it would draw attention to them that they didn’t want.   
“Wait, has anyone checked that this isn’t a dream?” Aang suggested after a few minutes of confusing silence.   
“Hey Zuko, hit me.” Sokka blurted and Zuko punched him on the shoulder. “NOT THAT HARD!” Zuko pulled a face at Sokka, who stuck his tongue out. “It’s not a dream you guys.”   
“What do we do? How do we get home? Where’s Appa?” Fear struck Aang in the heart as they received one answer about their situation. He panicked and was about to run off in anger, but Katara pulled him down. She hugged him tightly and felt his emotions subside.   
“Let’s just find out where we are. I’m sure Appa is fine.” She whispered as she was hugging him.   
“Oh good, you’re still here.” Calista sat down on the grass, sighing with relief. “I was scared you’d leave and I’m assuming you don’t have phones, do you?” She was wearing a chunky pair of yellow boots, blue trousers, and a black and white shirt. The clothes were so alien to what they knew, and what she’d said confused them even more.   
“Phones?”   
“Yeah, right okay. Um, let’s go back to my flat and I can help you figure all of this out.” She stood up. “Sorry, I realised I don’t know your names.”  
Aang introduced himself first, “I’m Aang, this is Katara, Sokka, and Toph.” He gestured to the others, who waved nervously.   
“I’m Suki and this is Zuko.” They both smiled, but the girl’s face was open in shock.   
“You’re kidding, right?”   
“No, those are our names.” Katara said forcefully, slightly offended that the girl didn’t accept their answers.   
Calista shook her head in disbelief. “I can’t believe I didn’t see it before. The clothes, the tattoos, the whole ensemble. It can’t really be you guys, it was just a tv show, it wasn’t real.” She was muttering to herself, doing something on the little rectangle she’d called a ‘phone’. “This is insane.”   
“Sorry, what’s going on?” Suki asked as the group looked nervously between each other.   
“Sorry, sorry. Let’s get back to mine, we can get the answers you need. And the answers I need, because this is categorically nuts.” 

As they walked back through the city, the group was in awe of the towering buildings that surrounded them and all the people passing them.  
“Hey! That’s such a good Avatar costume!” Someone shouted at them as they walked down a wide street. Aang didn’t know what to do, someone had clearly recognised him, but he was hurt that his clothes had been called a costume.   
“Excuse me, Calista, what did that man mean?” Katara asked, feeling Aang’s emotions bubbling. “Why did he say that?”   
“Let’s get inside, I’ll explain.” She hurried them down a street and unlocked a heavy wooden door, gesturing for them to head up the stairs.   
“Maybe we’re just in our future?” Sokka suggested, again. The others looked at him like he was mad, again.   
“’scuse me.” Calista unlocked a door and they all shuffled inside. The group watched her flick a switch on the wall and the small home was illuminated. It took all of Sokka’s self-restraint, which there wasn’t much, to not investigate it. “Sit down, please.” She gestured to a blue corner sofa covered in bright cushions and the six of them sat down nervously. “Do you want any water? Anything to eat? Tea?”   
All of them asked for tea, feeling like it was the safest option in this strange world. Aang and Katara were holding hands tightly, Sokka and Suki were huddled together, Toph was still trying to feel the vibrations of the world, and Zuko’s fists were clenched, ready to throw fire at the first sign of danger. They were all scared, but this mysterious yet friendly girl seemed like she genuinely wanted to help them. They looked around the place she called home, so many things were unfamiliar to them, but they could still see the elements of a life they perhaps understood. Posters, books, snacks, drinks, and remnants of hobbies were scattered throughout the room.   
“Here you go,” She put down a teapot and six cups on the table, pouring the hot liquid. “It’s Jasmine tea, I hope you like it, it was very expensive.” She perched herself on the kitchen table, holding her own mug of tea. 

Each of them took a cup, sipping it gently. It tasted like the tea Iroh made, and it tasted like home. Zuko felt a stab of sadness in his heart, realising that he might never see his uncle again. He kept the mug gently warm in his hands, not obviously so the kind girl would notice, but it just let him keep hold of a part of himself.  
“Calista, what did that person mean, that he liked Aang’s Avatar Costume?” Sokka asked.  
She sighed heavily, “I don’t know how to explain this.” Calista sounded nervous and her voice was quiet. “I don’t know how it happened, or why, but you guys have like a story, a play, but with drawings, it’s like a mover – no wait, you can’t be old enough for those to exist yet – okay, um I’ll start from the beginning. You see that thing,” She pointed at a black rectangle that was against one wall. “Basically, it shows like moving pictures, and tells stories and things. It’s called a television.” None of them could quite understand it, looking perplexed between the girl and the object. “Oh god, I’m not explaining this very well. Maybe it’s better if I show you.” Calista jumped off the table and grabbed a small object. Suddenly the television flicked on, and all of them jumped back in surprise, expect Toph, who was still confused as she couldn’t even see it before. The other five of them watched people moving about on the surface, talking to each other.   
“What is that?” Suki asked, believing it was definitely magic. Sokka was in awe, very confused, but still in awe. Katara didn’t trust it, Aang couldn’t understand, and Zuko was suddenly very invested in the two people he could see in it.  
“So, I’m not the person to tell you how it works, I’m no engineer. But basically, people make these programmes which are somehow sent to our own TVs, and we can watch them whenever we want. It’s like theatre, but in your own home, I guess.” The screen went black again and silence fell. 

The six teenagers, who’d once saved their world, were so out of place they didn’t know what to do here. They all sipped their tea awkwardly, shifty gazes flicked between them. So lost, and so out of place, all they had was each other.   
“I don’t understand it,” Sokka said. “But what does that,” He pointed at the television. “Have to do with us?”   
Calista sighed again. “You guys if you are who you claim to be, and this isn’t a very elaborate prank by my friends, are the main characters of an incredibly popular and very good programme. You’re all part of a story that, frankly, most of my generation knows and loves.”   
“Can someone tell me what’s going on?” Toph suddenly blurted, frustrated by the confusion this world left her in.   
“I think we’re, like, famous here?” Aang whispered to her, placing a hand on her shoulder to help ground her. Her feeling of the surroundings was improving, but there was a lot going on that she didn’t understand how to sense yet.   
“I don’t want to sound rude, but I would like some proof that you guys are really you. If my housemates are taking the piss, I’ll kill them.” The pink-haired girl asked.  
“What do you mean?” Sokka said suspiciously.  
“Can you, like, show me some bending?” She said very quietly, hiding behind her teacup. 

They all opened their mouth in shock, how did she know what bending was? It didn’t seem to exist in this mysterious world, so how could she know. Aang, Katara and Zuko looked between each other, unsure if they should show her, but she’d seemed so nice that they felt a bad about their hesitance. Zuko was about to burn a ball of fire in his hand but Calista stopped him.   
“Actually, wait! Sorry, Zuko, no firebending because it’ll set the alarm off. Any of the others is fine though.” Zuko looked at her in confusion, but soon she was distracted by Katara flowing the tea around her hands. “Oh my god, it’s really you.” Calista whispered, mouth open in wonderment.   
“Sorry, but I still don’t understand, how do you know what bending is, how did you know I can firebend?” Zuko said, defensive again. He didn’t trust people easily and her knowledge of them was worrying him.   
“I probably should show you. Sorry Toph, this isn’t going to be brilliant for you but you can still hear what’s going on.” She turned the television on and opened something called Netflix. Suddenly the words “Avatar: The Last Airbender” were on the screen and they were all opened mouthed in surprise. Katara and Sokka watched drawings of themselves in a representation of their home. Then Aang appeared and so did Appa. The real Aang shed a tear thinking about his friend who they’d lost. Then cartoon Zuko appeared, and the rest of them, including Toph found it hilarious how accurate he was. The real Zuko grumbled.   
Calista stopped the images, and then another story started. Where they’d met Suki on Kyoshi Island, and when they’d ‘kidnapped’ Toph. The earthbender laughed at how she was portrayed, feeling the similarities, and Suki loved how badass she was. It was accurate, they all admitted, too accurate.   
“What about Azula? She’s my-”  
“Sister, yeah I know. Mai and Ty Lee are there too, so is Haru, Teo, Hakoda, Momo and Jet.  
It seems like your whole lives have been turned into a story that has genuinely become internationally famous.” Calista said, stopping the programme again, despite Toph’s protests as she was quite enjoying the audio of her fights. “But how did you end up here?” 

They explained what had happened, and although it sounded so bizarre, Calista seemed to be quite understanding. Their story wasn’t long, and she knew a lot of the details so it wasn’t hard to tell. Then they asked her to tell them all about her world, this world that they’d landed in. She told them about cars and electricity, about the countries for the world, about food and schools, politics and art. She told them about the internet and about how bending didn’t exist in this world. She explained that it might be better for them to hide their powers, because they might be locked up and examined. They explained that they just wanted to get home, and she understood. She explained that she could probably fit them all in for a couple of months, while her housemates were at home for the summer.   
“I’ll have to check with them though, but it should be alright. I’m not gonna lie though, it’s going to be expensive having you all here and I make minimum wage. I don’t suppose you have any money do you?” They all rummaged in their pockets, handing her the coins. She examined them seemingly estimating their value. “Actually I have no idea what this is worth, I’ll can take it to a jewellers or something.” Calista sighed again and jumped off the table. “You probably don’t trust, so talk about it together, I’ll just be in my room.” She left and disappeared through a door covered in posters.

“What do you think we should do?” Aang asked the others, as they huddled together.   
“As far as I can tell, she’s being genuine about everything.” Toph said, she’d managed to get her bearings in the apartment and could feel Calista’s heartbeat.   
“I like her.” Sokka shrugged, intrigued about this world and all the things she’d vaguely explained. “I think we should trust her.”  
“As much as I hate to say it, but I agree with my brother.” Said Katara.   
“I don’t really think we have another choice, we need to get home but who knows how long that will take. I think we should try to fit in here, learn about this world while also trying to get home.” Suki reasoned and Zuko murmured in agreement. “Aang, you’re the decision maker, what do you think?”   
“I just want to get home to Appa.” The Avatar said softly. “But you’re right Suki, we don’t know how long we’re going to be here. She seems nice, and I would like to learn a bit more about this story of us.” 

Before Isabella left with their money, she turned on the television and played Avatar: The Last Airbender, warning them to not touch anything. She also left out a plate of snacks that Toph and Sokka dived for immediately.   
“This is like that play we went to see, except better.” Suki commented. Zuko sat with his arms crossed, grumbling about something.   
“We get it, you’ve changed.” Katara rolled her eyes and they both laughed.   
“Sshhhh, I’m trying to watch.” Sokka said frustratedly. They were in the middle of when they’d first met Suki. “Wait, was I really like that?” He turned to Suki, who avoided eye contact.   
They continued to watch their story, seeing what had really happened to Zuko while he chased them for the first time. He said that it was all true, that it had all happened. Somehow, watching versions of themselves, hearing parts of their stories that they had kept secret for years, brought them closer together. Zuko saw how the Fire Nation had hurt Katara and Sokka; Aang understood Zuko’s intentions more than ever before. Toph learned about everything her friends had been through before they’d met, and Suki realised how important everything that had happened had been. It was so strange, in this world that they didn’t understand, watching their stories play out on a screen. 

They were in the middle of watching themselves meet Teo and the Mechanist when Calista returned. She came looking flustered, she dropped her bag onto the floor before collapsing into a bean bag. Sokka managed to turn off the television and the screen went black.  
“Is everything alright?” Suki asked, as their new friend groaned. “Did you manage to get some money?”  
“Oh yeah. I guess you could say that.” She sighed, rummaging in her bag and pulling out a couple of slips of paper.   
“Look if it’s not enough money, I’m sure we can find a cave or somewhere to stay in, or better yet, Toph can build us a cave. We don’t want to be a burden.” Aang said.   
“I can do that you know.” Toph mumbled, mouthful of Doritos.  
“I’m sure you can.” She shook her head, a bemused smile on her face. “But you won’t need to, that gold was worth a lot of money, like a crazy amount. I could buy a house with this kind of money, wait no, I could afford rent for a year with this kind of money. And that’s just the gold, there’s the silver too. We can get you some new clothes and stuff too. I might even treat myself to something.” Her voice trailed off and the others looked on awkwardly as she daydreamed about shopping.   
“Ahem.” Aang coughed and she snapped back into the room.   
“Sorry, let me just ring my housemates.” Calista got up and picked up the black rectangle that she’d called a phone. “Hi guys! How’s home?” She disappeared into her room and they all could hear her talking loudly, and it sounded like there were other people talking back to her.   
“I feel a bit bad about staying here.” Katara said nervously. “It doesn’t really seem like there’s enough space. Maybe we can camp somewhere.” She looked at the others for their opinions.   
“But she said that it was fine, as long as the other people who live here agreed. Though I’m not sure how she is asking them.” Sokka shrugged, and the others seemed to agree with him. Katara sighed and conceded that as long as her friends were alright with it, they would stay. But she also made them all agree to help with cleaning and cooking, after instruction from their pink-haired hostess. 

Calista re-emerged from her bedroom smiling. “So you guys can stay for a couple of months, but I’m afraid Lou and Sonali are coming back for the start of term, and there’s not going to be enough space for all of you, even if Charlie isn’t back for longer. But I reckon if you guys haven’t found a way home, we can save some of the money and book you into a hotel or find an apartment on Airbnb.”   
“Are you really sure?” Katara didn’t know what Air Bee and Bee was but the first part she understood.   
“Of course, this is by far the most exciting thing that’s ever happened to me and it’s going to make my summer all the more interesting.”   
“As long as you’re sure, we can help with cleaning and cooking.” She smiled reassuringly. Calista laughed lightly, “Sounds like a deal. Right let’s get you guys some clothes to fit in here.”  
“What’s wrong with what we’re wearing?” Aang and Zuko said defensively.   
“As much as I appreciate that you want to honour your own cultures and heritage, I’m worried that people are going to constantly stop you, and comment on how good your costumes are. It’s like when you hid out in the Fire Nation after escaping Ba Sing se, but this time you don’t have to steal them off a washing line.”   
“I don’t really understand how you know all this, but I can see your point.” Aang was reluctant yet understanding.   
“We can go tomorrow, it’s late now and you’ve all had a hell of a day. I can show you to your rooms, and you can get some sleep.” 

She led Sokka and Suki to a room which was covered in posters of what seemed to be places all around this world. “This is Charlie’s room. Sorry it’s a bit of a mess, I assumed you didn’t mind sharing? Sorry I should have asked.”  
“No, we’re fine, thank you so much Calista.”   
“Great, call me Caly by the way, only my mother calls me Calista.” 

Aang and Katara were then shown to a room covered in plants and paintings leaned against every available surface.   
“This is Sonali’s room, sorry if it smells a bit like paint. She’s always working on something.”   
“Thank you so much, we honestly don’t know how to repay your kindness.” Aang smiled widely as Katara examined the plants, thinking about watering some of them.   
“Please don’t worry, I’m sure this is really difficult and confusing for you.” It was, Aang thought, thinking sadly of Appa and Momo. 

Zuko and Toph had decided they didn’t want to share, and in a game of straws, Toph had lost and was sleeping on the sofa. Though Zuko had promised they could switch the next night.   
Caly showed Zuko into Lou’s room, which had an eclectic mix of posters plastered all over the walls.   
“Thank you for your hospitality.” He smiled, but she wasn’t looking at him. Caly dashed past him and picked up a small white fluffy object from the windowsill.   
“Oh, it’s no problem. Sleep well.” She smiled back and shut the door. 

A quiet knock on Aang and Katara’s door surprised them, and Caly stuck her head around.   
“I think I have something that will cheer you up a bit.” The two of them looked up eagerly, and suddenly a white blur was hurled across the room at them. Aang caught it and realised what it was. He gulped and a tear rolled down his face. “I know it doesn’t compare to the real thing but…”   
“Thank you.” Whispered Katara as Aang squeezed the plushie tightly. It was, of course, a stuffed Appa toy.   
“Goodnight.” 

Finally, Caly threw Toph pile of blankets and pillows which she made a fairly comfortable bed out of on the sofa.   
“Night Toph.”   
“I’m not normally this nice but thank you. This place is strange and I can barely feel anything.”   
“I’m sorry this happened to you, I hope you get home soon.”   
“Not too soon, I want to know what I’m like in that story you were talking about.” 

All six of them lay awake in bed for a while, thinking they were too anxious to sleep, until one by one they all dropped out of consciousness. They dreamt of life in the war, and life after it. They dreamed of flying on Appa and swimming in the lakes. They dreamed of their homes and their families. Of a life in this mysterious world that they’d been dropped into without any warning.   
In the morning, Caly showed them how to use the shower. Katara loved the feeling of the warm water on her skin and could have spent hours bending the liquid, but her brother knocking insistently on the door made her stop. Over breakfast, Caly explained how houses had running water, and ways to heat it up. She tried to explain how it worked, but the truth was she didn’t really understand. Sokka wanted to write down everything she talked about, so that when they got home, he could start implementing the things he liked about this world. They all found it fascinating and could have listened to her talk about it all day, but she said that she was going to take them all shopping and to be honest, they were quite excited for it. 

Caly lent them some clothes to cover up their own, just to avoid too many comments about their attire. It was a strange feeling for all of them, but they understood why. Aang was most resistant to covering up, but they convinced him to put on a light beige jacket, just to cover his tattoos. Suki took a large green shirt and immediately tied a knot in the front of it, like she’d seen Caly do. Katara took a long black skirt and tucked her tunic into it. A pair of what Caly called ‘jeans’ were given to Sokka and he pulled them on, cuffing the bottoms because they were too long. Zuko borrowed a pair of heavy red boots from Caly’s housemate, as his weren’t the most practical. Finally, Toph borrowed a t-shirt, which had ‘Me? Sarcastic? Never…’ written on the front. It wasn’t a perfect solution, but it would do for now. 

“Okay, so this is the main shopping street, we can find some stuff for all of you today. Please stick together, I don’t want to lose you. Oh god, I sound like a teacher on a school trip.” Caly said as they all stood at the end of a road lined with shops. It wasn’t filled with people, but it was clear that it was a popular place to be.   
“Let’s do this.” Caly led them into a huge store, where all different types of clothes were packed in on rails. “Have a look, go and try stuff on, there are dressing rooms at the back I think. Come find me when you’re done.”   
The six looked around nervously, before disappearing off to look for clothes. Katara, Suki, and Toph wandered around, picking up mostly green and blue clothes. Toph wasn’t too fussed, so Suki picked stuff out for her. They had a lot of fun, it was relaxing and they really enjoyed how much choice they had in colour, style, material and sizes. Occasionally Caly would come over if they needed any assistance and to know if something was actually nice. They decided that they liked her, and more importantly, trusted her. 

Zuko, Sokka and Aang were at the other end of the store, looking through the extensive variety of shirts and t-shirts on offer. Caly came over and picked up a couple of pairs of jeans, then leaned on a rail of leather jackets.   
“Isn’t this the men’s section?” Sokka asked, reading the illuminated sign above her head.   
“Yeah, but women’s jeans are terrible and expensive. Clothes don’t have gender anyway, but the world is still stuck in the binary.” She shrugged. “You guys need any help?”   
Sokka and Zuko got Caly’s advice on sizes and eventually they had a large stack of clothes between them. Aang didn’t like the limited range of clothes for men and wandered off to the women’s section where he found a couple of yellow shirts that he liked, but Caly said she’d take him somewhere that had a better selection. 

They all met up eventually, each of them carrying a large pile of clothes and shoes. It was all scanned – Caly quietly explaining how barcodes worked – and she paid for their stuff. It was expensive, but she had the money that she’d got from selling their gold. Before heading home, she took them – carrying huge shopping bags – to a smaller clothes shop where she knew Aang would find some things he liked.   
“Caly!” A girl shouted as they entered the little shop, running up to them.   
“Hi darling!” She hugged the other girl and introduced everyone. “This is Freya, she does the same course as me at university. These are some of my friends, they’re staying with me for the moment.”   
Freya waved and then whispered to Caly, “Why do your friends look like the characters from Avatar?”   
“Coincidence.”   
They left the shop later, Aang had found some clothes he felt more comfortable in, and the others also picked up some jewellery, particularly Suki who bought some earrings that looked like tiny fans. 

Exhausted on their feet, they all collapsed into a restaurant that Caly recommended. The menu was full of noodles, soups, and curries. Although the food wasn’t exactly what they had at home, they recognised some of the dishes. They got cups of complimentary green tea, which Zuko pretended was nice. After ordering, they all told Caly about the last five years since the war had ended, since she had explained that the last thing she knew about them was from Zuko’s coronation.   
Zuko told her about how he was changing the Fire Nation, trying to transform it, despite its past. Sokka and Katara talked about rebuilding their home, with the help of the Northern Water Tribe. Toph had gone back to her parents, wanting to rebuild their relationship. Suki was trying to dismantle the Dai Li in Ba Sing Se with the other Kyoshi Warriors. Aang was just trying to keep the world in balance, whatever that meant at the time.   
They talked about their friends, people like Ty Lee and Mai, Haru and Smellerbee, and their families, like Uncle Iroh and Hakoda, Gran Gran and Azula – who had learnt that she was also just a victim of her father. They enjoyed talking about their home, it made them reminisce, even though they’d only been gone for less than a day. The food arrived and they all tucked in, slurping up noodles and rice between sips of tea. Caly talked more about the world, they listened to things that sounded like magic. It was wonderfully fun and for a while they forgot their troubles. 

Food filled their bellies, tea warmed their chests, and Caly’s kindness settled their hearts. It sounded cheesy, but it was true. They found her so wonderfully charming and Toph felt her honesty. She told them about what she studied at university, about how she’d grown up all over the world because her parents were diplomats who were constantly being relocated and reassigned. They didn’t really know what it meant, but it sounded like she’d lived everywhere.   
After an elongated lunch, they wandered back to her flat, quite excited to try on all of their new clothes. Individually they’d all realised that this might be their reality for quite a while, or perhaps they’d just wake up from a dream soon and none of it would matter anyway. 

“Caly?” Katara called. They had admired each other’s purchases and were now changing in their rooms. Toph was lounging on the sofa, having already changed, and was wearing a pair of green dungarees with the ‘Me? Sarcastic? Never…’ top underneath. She was manipulating metal in her hands, making funky shapes out of what once was some paperclips.   
“Yeah?” The girl was leaning against her doorframe, staring at her phone as swiping her thumb across the screen, mostly going left but occasionally she pause and swipe right.   
“Why are you being so nice to us?”   
“Because I am in desperate need of friends.” She said sarcastically, not looking up from her phone. But she sighed and put the device down. “Because I know what it’s like to be in an unfamiliar world where no one knows you. Everything is strange and you don’t know what anything means. I mean me moving to a new school and new country every like two years doesn’t compare but I dunno, I get it, I think.”   
No one replied, and after a moment, each of them emerged from the rooms, looking really awkward in their new clothes. Caly smiled and laughed lightly, adjusting some of the sleeves and collars. She stepped back and admired them, like she’d just finished a work of art. And to be honest, they looked pretty good for people who didn’t know what a department store was. 

Aang was wearing some soft, light grey jeans which were cut off just below his knees. An orange and white striped t-shirt was covered by a long and floaty mustard cardigan, which had blue patches on the elbows. His sleeves were rolled up and his tattoos poked out from beneath them. It was comfortable and he actually really liked it, especially the pair of beige desert boots Caly had picked out for him.   
Stood next to him, Katara contrasted in blue and white. A denim pinafore dress which had embroidered flowers along the seams was offset by a white t-shirt underneath. Her hair was down and flowed over the clean fabric, falling loosely around her shoulders. Her necklace glittered in the light and blue of it matched a pair of ballet pumps on her feet.   
Also in shades of blue, Sokka was leaning against the wall, fiddling with the wraps on his forearms. He was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans which holes in the knees – Caly had assured them that it was on purpose – and a short-sleeved shirt that was half black and half sky blue was tucked into the front. The jeans were cuffed to show off the pair of white canvas sneakers, and his sleeves were cuffed up to the elbow.   
Next to the Water Tribe siblings, Suki stood out in green and black. Wide black culottes swished around her legs, an olive shirt that she’d tied at the front contrasted with them. Beneath the culottes, a pair of heavy green boots were laced up tightly and her socks poked out over the top.   
Finally, in black and red, Zuko stood awkwardly, looking like that one emo cousin at a wedding. Black boots in the same style as Suki’s with yellow laces covered up the bottom of a pair of black jeans, which were held up by a burgundy belt. A black satin shirt covered in images of red dragon was unbuttoned over a plain black t-shirt, tucked into the jeans. 

They all felt quite awkward, not sure how they felt about the clothes yet, but Calista seemed to pretty impressed with their outfits.   
“I’m not gonna lie, you guys look pretty damn good.” She got out her phone and pointed it at them. “I wanna take a picture of this, Toph get over here.” Toph begrudgingly got up, assuming that they’d have to stand there for ages which she sketched a portrait. “Okay, smile!” A flash surprised them, and Zuko and Suki dropped into defensive stances. “Sorry! That was me.” Caly apologised and they relaxed. “Do you wanna see it?” She asked, gesturing for them to come over.   
It surprised them to see themselves on the tiny screen, dressed exactly as they were. It was comforting to see that maybe they could survive in this alien world, and this would mark the start of a new life for them. They’d faced so many challenges as kids, maybe doing this as adults would be fine. Nevertheless, they were glad they were doing it with each other, side by side, as always.


	2. The Tale of Aang

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> or, How are you gonna get yourself back home?

Aang didn’t like this world. It was loud, unwelcoming, and suffocating. He couldn’t fly on his glider here; he couldn’t feel the wind flowing over his body as he soared on Appa. So, of the six of them, he devoted the most time to trying to find a way home. It wasn’t that the others didn’t try, but Aang dove headfirst into investigating.   
They’d all been back to the field that they woke up in several times, looking for something that might help them understand what had happened. But returning to Caly’s apartment empty handed and dismayed, the other five gradually lost interest. After a month, Aang was the only one still really devoted to finding answers. He didn’t mind so much, the others still wanted to get back, so did and they would have dropped everything in a heartbeat if he found a way home. Katara supported all of his efforts, and he talked to her a lot about it. 

He’d researched the ideas of wormholes and portals at the library, he’d waited for huge storms that were the same as the one they’d flown into. He’d screamed until his throat ached at the sky, hoping that it would open up. He looked into the ideas of lucid dreams and waking up from a coma, where this was just a hallucination.   
But there was no evidence for it ever happening, nothing to go on and all the theories were pure scepticism. Though it all, his hope rarely dwindled, and he carried on, still trying to return home.

One sunny afternoon, Aang, Sokka and Caly were the only ones at home, the others had gone for an explore around the city. Aang was sitting on the bed, legs crossed and eyes closed, trying to meditate and talk to the past avatars, but as hard as he tried, he couldn’t connect to them. Caly gave him some ear plugs to block out the noise of Sokka watching television and the busy road that her flat overlooked, but they didn’t help. After nearly two hours of nothing, he dropped back onto the bed in frustration, shooting fire from his fingertips.   
“Urghhhh!” He exclaimed and Caly came dashing into the room, concerned that he’d hurt himself.   
“Is everything okay?”   
“Yeah, I’m fine. I still can’t connect to my past selves. It’s like there’s something blocking me from them.”   
“Hmmm.” Caly leaned on the door frame, clearly thinking about something, while Aang played with a ball of water, creating snowflakes of incredible detail. “I have an idea. Come on.”   
“Where are we going?” 

Aang and Caly took a bus near to the field where they’d woken up, and climbed over the gate to get in, ignoring the ‘NO PUBLIC ACCESS’ sign that hung crookedly on it.   
“Why are we here?” Aang asked as they wandered to the middle of the meadow, pushing through the long grasses, disturbing flurries of insects.   
“To be honest this sounded like a better idea in my head, but I was thinking, maybe this is the place that you’re closest to your home, maybe the connection with your past lives will be easier to make here. Also, it’s a hell of a lot quieter here.”   
“It mean it’s worth a go.” Aang shrugged, he had no idea whether it would work or not, but ideas were running low and this was better than nothing. He sat down in the grass and heard Caly walk off to give him some space.   
Closing his eyes, letting the air flow around his body and the energy flow through it. Aang breathed slowly, feeling his lungs fill and empty. He let the world disappear around him and he felt like was floating, at peace in this strange, loud world. He felt something pass through his body and recognised the sensation of connecting with his past lives.   
“Roku?” He opened his eyes, expecting to see a glowing blue figure in front of him, but all he could see was the field. “Roku? Are you there?”   
“Aang…” A voice echoed in his head, and he knew it but couldn’t place it.   
“Roku? Kyoshi? Are you there?” He said, looking around.   
“Aang…” The voice repeated, louder this time. He recognised the tone as Roku’s and he tried to summon the spirit of his preincarnation.   
“Avatar Roku? Where are you? I need your help, we somehow ended up in this strange world and I don’t know how to get back. Please, can you help me?” He spoke into thin air, hoping that it might summon the apparition, but to no avail. No one appeared. “Please.” He pleaded, the hope in his heart about to fizzle out.  
“Aang!” Roku’s voice surprised him after a long silence. “Something is stopping me from being able to connect properly, there is a veil between us that I cannot cross. I heard your call, and I can only say, find your true self here, and maybe it’ll show you a way home …” His voice faded and Aang seemed to be physically pushed out of his meditative state.   
“Roku? What does that mean? ROKU?” He cried, scaring some birds away. Angry with himself for not being able to connect properly, and frustrated with the world, he hurled a ball of air through the long grasses, flattening a path in the plants. Rage throbbed through his veins and he felt himself about to lose control, going into the Avatar State, but Caly calling out his name interrupted him.   
“Aang? Are you alright?” She battled with the flora and appeared next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. He felt the contact and was pulled back to earth. “What happened? Did it work?” She asked, helping him up.   
“I…I don’t know.” He sighed and thought about what Roku had said. “I managed to speak to Avatar Roku, but he wasn’t exactly clear. I need to talk to the others about it. Zuko might know what he meant.” He gestured in frustration and accidentally hurled another ball of air across the meadow.   
“Ooohh okaaaay.” Caly whistled, sensing his anger. “Come with me, I want to show you something.” 

He followed her to a grove of trees, split in half by a small river that was glistening in the dappled sunlight. Birds sang softly and the breeze ruffled the leaves lightly. He gasped at how different it was to the rest of this world, how much quieter it was, away from the people and the roads. He joined their new friend, who was sitting on the bank with her feet in the water.   
“I didn’t know that there were places like this here.” He said, carefully placing his feet into the cold water.   
Caly laughed lightly, “It’s not all metal and concrete, I promise.” She swung her feet in the water, sending ripples out. “If you’re here for a long time, you should go on holiday. See the rest of this world, there’s some beautiful places out there. We lived in Japan for a while when I was younger and the Akaishi Mountains are just amazing. At the top, you’re above the clouds and you feel like you’re above everything. And then there’s places like the Pyramids in Egypt, and the Roman Forum, and the Mekong River, and the deserts in Australia…” She trailed off, clearly daydreaming about the places she’d lived.   
“If we’re here for a long time…” Echoed Aang, thinking about what Roku had tried to tell him. “He said that I have to find my true self, and it might lead us home.”   
“What do you think it means?”   
“I don’t know yet, but it’s better than nothing. I think we might be here for a while longer, until I figure this out.”   
“That’s fine, but we might need to find you a place to stay soon.” She said, as he swirled the water around his feet. “You want to head home?”   
“Do you mind if we stay here for a bit? I like the quiet.”   
“Sure, as long as you want.” 

The sun was beginning to set as Aang and Caly rode the bus back to the city centre. They sat in silence, Aang was thinking about what Roku had said, trying to figure out what he meant. The words ‘true self’ echoed around his head, like a foreign language that he couldn’t quite read. He felt he knew what it meant, but like he couldn’t quite grasp the meaning. It was like it was just beyond his fingers, and he could stretch and stretch but it was always a little too far. The more the Avatar thought about it, the more difficult it became to understand, like each string of thought tangled with another one and he ended up with a messy knotted ball of problems that was impossible to solve. 

“Hey, you guys want to order food later? There’s a half a bottle of juice, two carrots and a…” Caly took a yoghurt pot out of the fridge, sniffed it, grimaced and chucked it in the bin. “You know what, never mind.”   
Aang was sitting on the sofa with Toph, Katara, and Suki, quietly thinking about what had happened earlier. Zuko was sitting on the balcony, reading something, and Sokka was in the shower.   
Caly dropped onto the couch, eating a slice of toast. “Hey, what did you guys get up to today?”   
“We went to a museum, I think it was called the History of Science.” Katara said, as Aang listened, distracting his mind from the half-answer he got from Roku. “It was weird, I still don’t understand half the things there but it was fun.”  
“Yeah, you guys have managed to do a lot without bending.”  
“Toph! Don’t be mean.” Katara slapped her on the shoulder and Aang laughed for the first time since he’d arrived, like properly, honestly, really laughed.   
Sokka emerged with damp hair from the shower and squeezed between Suki and his sister on the sofa that did not fit all of them. Caly was pushed off the end and sat on the floor, leaning on the coffee table. Zuko came in from the balcony and sat next to Caly on the floor. 

“Where did you two head off two earlier?” Sokka asked Caly and Aang. The Avatar saw the girl open her mouth, about to speak but he interrupted quickly. For now, he just didn’t want to tell the others what had happened, not all together anyway. Too many questions and too much pressure.   
“Caly took me to a more peaceful place than here. I’m still not used to the noise here.” He said, giving her a knowing look and she nodded in understanding. “And she told me all about places around this world, some are even like home.”   
“Ooooh can we go?” Sokka cooed and Aang chuckled at his enthusiasm. “Where are they?”   
“Too far and you would need passports first.” Caly replied, getting up and grabbing an almost empty bag of Doritos from the kitchen. “It’s nearly eight, you want to order takeout tonight?” She asked, and the others all nodded in agreement.   
“Can we get, what was it called, sushi again?” Katara asked and Sokka mumbled in agreement.   
“Noooo, what about that first place we went, the one you took us too?” Zuko chirped, and Toph nodded in agreement.   
But Suki protested, “Noooo, I liked that other stuff we had, from the place around the corner? It’s like the place that was next to the Jasmine Dragon in Ba Sing Se.”   
They continued arguing about food for a while, and Aang sat back and watched his friends fight about noodles or rice, dumplings or pancakes. Sokka and Katara were strongly defending the sushi and fish corner, Zuko and Toph had teamed up and were arguing for the curries and soups, Suki was alone in wanting the fried noodles and spring rolls. Aang agreed with her, but he didn’t want to get involved yet. He quite liked seeing them all living in this place, it was grounding, and he realised it helped him get slightly more used to the new world.   
“You know you can order from more than one place, right?” Caly interrupted, and the five of them were stunned into silence. 

“What did you really do today?” Katara asked Aang as they lay in bed that night. She was curled up against his body, head resting on his chest.   
“What do you mean?”   
“I mean, I’m not Toph but I can tell when you’re lying to me.”   
“Are you…cross?” He said nervously, rubbing his hand on her back softly.  
“No, but you know you don’t have to keep things from me.”   
He sighed heavily, and told her about the message from Roku, and that he didn’t know what it meant. Katara didn’t reply immediately, Aang understood that she wouldn’t know the answer, but it always helped to talk to her about these things. Sometimes he found himself hiding things when he didn’t know the answer, or when something went wrong. Although his friends would always support him, there was always a whisper of pressure and expectations on him as the Avatar. So keeping things secret was the easy option, until Katara realised he was hiding something.   
“True self? Hmmmm.” Katara mumbled sleepily, squeezing him gently. “I don’t know what that means, but I trust you to figure it out, you’re the Avatar after all.” Aang felt her fall asleep on his chest. He stayed awake for a while longer, his head still busy with thoughts about what his predecessor had tried to tell him. The poor connection to the spirits was obvious in this world, but he really wished there were more answers on how to get home. 

Over the next few days, Aang told the others about the message from Avatar Roku, and they began to help him decipher it, it wasn’t like it was cryptic message, but no one could work out what he’d meant by Aang’s ‘True Self’. Some thought he had to airbend a storm for them, like the one they’d flown into before, but after ending up scattered across a field which various bruises, that didn’t seem to be the answer. The next idea they had was that he had to try to connect with as many of his past lives as possible, that perhaps they’d show a path home, but after no one appeared to him, not even Roku, they were once again at a loss.   
More attempts and more failures later, it really seemed like Roku’s message wasn’t really a solution. Aang was getting more and more frustrated with each disappointment, and the others noticed the stress wearing on him. He was quieter than usual, liked disappearing off for walks alone, spent a lot of time in bed. Everyone was worried about him, and they all remembered when he’d been like if before, so they tried to come up with new ideas, but it really seemed hopeless, and they would have to accept that they were going to be in this new world forever, leaving their home behind. 

Until one day a few weeks later, when they were talking about something completely unrelated to getting home, that the solution seemed to present itself. Aang was sitting on the sofa, half asleep and resting on Katara’s lap. Zuko and Sokka were arguing about whether boomerangs were better than dual swords. Aang was only half listening and the whole conversation was lost on him, until Toph’s voice cut through to him.   
“Could just go into the avatar state, that would tell us the truth, that Earth is clearly the best element.”   
He sat up, nearly headbutting his girlfriend. “Wait, Toph, say that again?”   
“Earth is the best element?”  
“No the bit before that.”  
“You should go into the avatar state?”   
The realisation flooded over him like a wave, “Of course, that’s it! That’s what Roku meant!” Aang stood up quickly and the rest of the group looked up eagerly.   
“Aang?”   
“The Avatar state is my true self, that must be how we can get home! Let’s go now!” He said, but the others didn’t seem to share the passion. “You do want to get home, don’t you?”   
“Of course,” Katara took his hand. “But we want to make sure that this will work, hope is dangerous.” She said, and Aang felt everyone nodding in agreement around him.   
He felt betrayed by his friends and finally snapped at them, “You all feel like this? How do you think it feels when you’re the one everyone is counting on and then you fail? Huh? How do you think I feel when it’s always my responsibility to save the day?” Around his clenched fists, fire and air swirled angrily, visibly representing his anger.   
“Aang.” One of them said. “Aang!” He realised that it was Zuko and Suki trying to get his attention. He looked at them both, a scowl cementing on his face.   
Suki spoke first, her words quiet yet sharp. “You want to talk about responsibility? Everyone here has been given too much responsibility, all of us have had to save the day, all of us have failed at one point. This isn’t just your problem to solve, let us help.”  
“Aang,” Zuko continued. “Of course we want to get home, but just give us a moment. Let’s talk about it, make sure it is the right thing to do.”   
Aang sat down, he realised that Zuko and Suki were right, and he should never have said that his friends didn’t understand. “I’m sorry, I want to get home, I want to see Appa and Momo, I want to make sure the world hasn’t imploded without me, without us.” 

Two days later, the six of them, as well as Caly who wanted to wave the off, were stood in the field again. Nerves thundered through Aang, and he felt the responsibility of their world on his shoulders. 

“So how does this work, do you go into the Avatar state and then a portal opens? Or do we have to fly into a storm that you create?” Sokka looked around the field.  
“I think maybe we hold hands and then I go into the Avatar state and we get taken back home? I don’t know let’s just try it and see.” They all took each other’s hands and stood in a tight circle. Aang closed his eyes and tried to summon his inner strength.  
“Wait!” Caly’s voice interrupted his meditation. “Sorry! But if this works, I’m never going to see you again. This has genuinely been the weirdest but most fun and exciting six weeks of my life. I hope you get home. Save the world again, invent the phone, get married, have kids, get a pet dragon, build a new world.” She hugged each of them, finally squeezing Aang in a tight embrace. “I’m sure you can do it.” She whispered in his ear, and walked away from the group, then leaning on the gate. 

They took each other’s hands and Aang closed his eyes again. He felt his energy settle and the elements materialised around them. The six of them were lifted off the ground surrounded by a ball of air. Fire, water, and earth circled the sphere and they felt like they were in the middle of a tornado. Grips tightened and fear struck them all like lightening. It really seemed that this was how they were going to get home. The sensation of the storm was familiar and they all hoped they would wake up in their world.   
The air engulfed them and when they woke up, it was peaceful and the sky was clear. Aang smiled, happy to be back in familiar territory. Until a face appeared above his.   
“Are you alright?” Caly asked, looking sadly down at him. It absolutely crushed him to know they hadn’t made it home. They regrouped in the field once again, where the grasses and weeds had been battered by the energy from Aang’s power. 

Disappointment filled Aang as they journeyed home. He felt like he’d failed them all, like they were never going to get home ever again. On the seat next to him on the bus, Katara tried to take his hand, but he pulled away. He didn’t feel like he was worthy of her love now, like he’d failed in every responsibility he had.   
When they reached Caly’s flat, he headed straight into the bedroom, slamming the door behind him. He was full of sadness and anger at himself, and now all that felt right was curling up under a blanket with the Appa toy and disappearing from the world for a while. His friends left him alone, and he appreciated it. He didn’t have the answers for their questions, and he wasn’t sure he ever would.   
The next day, the feeling hadn’t left, even after Katara brought him tea and soup. She stayed for a while, just silently keeping him company. The next day, it was a little better and he left the bedroom and joined his friends on the sofa. He didn’t say much but was glad for the company. 

After a few more days, after talking to his friends, and learning they were not disappointed with him but had understood that they might have to accept a life in this world, Aang began to feel better. Not perfect, but no one has ever felt perfect in the history of humanity. He regained his sense of self, and eventually found that he might actually be able to have a life here. 

It was a busy afternoon in the city centre, and Aang was walking down a side street with Zuko and Caly. They were talking about something, and Aang wasn’t paying attention when a man in a bright blue t-shirt thrust a flyer at him.   
“Save the animals! Did you know over forty thousand pets are abandoned at shelters every year because people can’t handle them?” The man said forcefully, trying to get them to stop. Caly continued walking without so much as a pause, but what the man had said seemed to punch Aang in the stomach. He remembered what had happened to Appa, and he couldn’t let it slide.   
“Excuse me, how can I help?” 

A week later, Aang was volunteering at Blue Cross Shelter from Monday to Friday. He had a natural connection with all the animals, even the ones that he didn’t recognise. He helped dogs that had come from abusive owners, cats that had been abandoned by the sides of roads. The job gave him a purpose, a sense of duty in this strange world that allowed him to feel like all hope wasn’t lost. He might not be able to get them home just yet, but at least they could make this place feel more like home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos, comments and bookmarks always welcome x

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed, please stick around for more chapters in their lives


End file.
